Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare

UK and Scottish government ministers met again today as part of the on-going process to transfer the remaining welfare powers under the Scotland Act 2016.

The group has a rotating Chair and this meeting was led by Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities and Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Employability and Training, also attended for the Scottish Government.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell and Damian Green, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, represented the UK Government. It was Damian Green's first meeting of the group since being appointed to the DWP in July.

The group discussed matters of mutual interest including progress achieved to date on devolved employability programmes, and next steps towards delivery of these powers from April 2017.

Ministers also discussed on-going work around Scottish Ministers' commitment to pay extra to recipients of Carer's Allowance in Scotland and a future approach to joined up communications on implementation of the Scotland Act 2016.

On the transfer of the remaining welfare sections in the Act, Ministers agreed the next steps which will see the Scottish Parliament taking responsibility for these, with a commitment to hearing a further update at the next joint ministerial meeting.